A well-chosen word can make a big impact during an interview, especially one where your prospective employer will ask you to describe yourself. Choose words that highlight your best qualities and demonstrate how they can benefit the company’s mission. Use power words like “highly organized” and “self-determined” and demonstrate your ability to work as part of a team. Employers also want to know that you are an eager learner and can adapt as conditions change.
The plural form of you is y’all, which is often used in southern English and the abbreviated version youse is sometimes used in a more formal context. Both forms are pronounced as yeow or ewew in many English dialects and are distinguished from singular you by their lack of an acute accent. The form you is usually, but not always, omitted in imperatives, where the pronoun may be included before the verb (You go right ahead; You stay out of it) or after it (Don’t you dare do that; Don’t start now).
You might be surprised to find out how many different adjectives you can use to describe yourself! But don’t be too quick to rely on power words. Using power words excessively can come across as contrived and insincere. To avoid this, focus on describing yourself in a way that is honest and reflects your personality.
If you are writing a profile about someone, then interviewing them and listening carefully to their answers will help you discover the best ways to describe them. Listen for anecdotes and details about their life that will make them memorable. Avoid questions that are too narrow or limiting, such as “What do you think makes you special?” or “What’s the one thing that most people don’t know about you?”
While this question might seem easy, it can be a difficult challenge to answer. Interviewers are looking for your opinion and insight rather than a standard, textbook definition of yourself. It is important to hone your STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) to prepare for this interview question. Practicing and reviewing your answers beforehand can help you to articulate your best qualities in a short space of time.
It is also a good idea to practice the word you in conversation with friends and family members. This will help you become more comfortable with the sound of the word and how to pronounce it. It will also give you a sense of the variety of ways that it can be used and the different connotations that accompany each.
Words that sound the same but have different spellings are known as homophones. For example, the pair of words your and you’re can be confusing for those learning English. Your is a possessive adjective that must be followed by a noun and you’re is a contraction of the two words, “are” and “you.” Learn how to distinguish these pairs of homophones, and take our quiz to test your understanding.